1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to automatic musical instruments. More particularly, this invention relates to a music box using an improved method and device for playing music.
2. Description of the Related Art
While the preferred use of this invention is with a music box, and much of the following discussion of the invention is made relative to a music box, the invention is not limited to music boxes. Music boxes, player pianos, and the like, are all known types of automatic musical instruments, and features of the invention are suitable for application in numerous automatic musical instruments. Accordingly, the use of the term music box is exemplary only, and in no way limiting.
Automatic musical instruments, and in particular music boxes, are commonly known to be collectibles, heirlooms, conversation pieces, and decorations. The distinctive sound produced by music boxes is a result of reeds, or tines, being vibrated by picks. In particular, in these instruments plural tines of varying length and width, each producing a different musical note or sound, are vibrated in an arranged sequence to create a melody. Conventionally, at least three types of automatic musical instruments are known, which use three different methods to vibrate the tines.
The first of these methods utilizes a rotatable drum disposed proximate to the plurality of tines. U.S. Pat. No. 6,329,580 is an example of a drum-type music box that uses this first method. In the U.S. Pat. No. '580, a drum having prongs protruding therefrom is constantly rotated about an axis. As the drum rotates, the prongs contact the various tines of a musical tine member, causing the contacted tines to be picked and thus to vibrate. As each tine vibrates, a different musical note is produced. By providing the prongs in different arrangements on the drum, various melodies can be produced by picking the tines in the order of the notes of a melody.
While this drum-type music box has advantages in its simple construction, this first arrangement also has several drawbacks. For starters, the length of time that the drum-type music box can play music before repeating is limited by the circumference of the drum. As a result, most music boxes using this method play only a single melody, or, in some cases, only a single verse or portion of a single melody. Only by removing and replacing the drum can different songs be played. This operation, however, is not practical, as the drum is generally not easily interchangeable.
A second method of vibrating tines in an automatic musical instrument to create a melody uses a disc having protrusions formed thereon. U.S. Pat. No. 5,973,240 relates to a disc-type music box that uses this second method. As discussed in the '240, projections are formed in a pattern on a horizontally-oriented disc. As the disc rotates, the projections contact and vibrate vertically disposed tines, creating a desired melody. Alternatively, the projections may cause rotation of vertically disposed pin wheels, with each of the pin wheels corresponding to a tine of a horizontally disposed comb. When the pin wheels are rotated, a pin portion thereof contacts and vibrates the corresponding tine, creating a musical note.
Disc-type automatic musical instruments also have drawbacks. For example, like drum-type instruments, disc-type instruments also only play for a limited length of time until the music is repeated. Specifically, the length of play is proportional to the diameter of the disc. To partly compensate for this drawback, automatic musical instruments employing the disc construction are generally configured such that the disc is interchangeable, i.e., the disc may be removed and replaced with another disc, thereby allowing for change in the song to be played. However, separate, removable discs are easily misplaced and/or damaged.
A third method used to create music in automatic musical instruments is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,698,801, which is assigned to the assignee of the present application. The automatic musical instrument utilizes a tape having a plurality of holes therethrough. The tape is fed over a plurality of discs, each having projections depending radially outwardly therefrom. During this movement of the tape, the projections on the discs are caught in the tape's holes, causing the discs to rotate. The rotation of the disc causes one of the projections on the disc to engage a corresponding tine. The projections move the tines and subsequently disengage, allowing the tines to spring back to their original position. The thus-caused vibration of the tines generates an audible sound.
Tape-type automatic musical instruments are more conducive to increased playing time to produce, for example, multiple songs, inasmuch as a longer tape can carry more projections than a drum or disc. While the tape-type instrument is an improvement over the drum-type and disc-type devices, it has its own limitations, due primarily to use of a tape and that the amount of tape required is proportional to the number of songs that can be played.
Accordingly, a further improved automatic musical instrument is desired that has the traditional musical sound of conventional automatic musical instruments, but that provides for a simplified selection of a song from a large catalog of songs, in a relatively small device.